Thats What You Get

Back in the late 80s , early 90s, I was spending a lot of time in bars.  Good times, bad times, you know I saw my share (cue the Jimmy Page), but many good memories, many gals I took home for a night, and I apologize if I forgot their names. I remember my Teutonic redhead (ouch) and a few others. But other than the after-bar pleasures, there were many good nights. And glimpses of places I dont want to be or go.
Par example, I was standing in the lobby of the Commie (Whyte Ave biker blues bar, with rooms above) waitin for a cab with my off-sales  and some stumbling drunk skinny kid was lippin off at the 'clerk' who was a strong warrior -lookin Bosnian cat. He leaped over the counter, dragged skinny boy out on the sidewalk, and gave him a good boot-fuckin. Then spat, and said, 'thats what you get'.  I said 'Hey, hows it goin' to some other barfly folks while this was going on virtually under our noses,  they replied, 'oh good, just off to buddy's place' then I got in my cab and went on.

Another night, me n Sam and Lightfingers Larry went out behind the Strath to smoke one; there happened to be a ladder up to the roof of a neighboring building, under reconstruction. We figgered, what the hey, lets smoke it up there. Went up the ladder, then along come some frat boys yellin up at us 'hey what are you guys doin up there', which we answered with a hail of snowballs. Turned into a good little snowball battle, with us having the upper hand, but of course the Po-leece showed up, just beat cops. We found a hatch on the roof and dropped into total darkness, the windows of the reno being boarded up. Three blind mice (coyotes) found another hatch to the main floor, then kicked out the plywood over the front windows, kicked it back into place and went for a walk till the cops were gone, then resumed our pool games in the bar.  Good times.

I am not that excited about the 21st century, but I have earned some middle aged grouchiness, and find these kids with their constant cellphones etc, to be trivial in many ways. Not my kid, I hasten to add. I think he will find his gravitas and earn his grouchiness, and he will be 18 this week.  I am happy about my life and developments in it, and I am having a good time.

Have some adventures, find a good woman who is as smart as you and has similar interests/priorities, even if it takes a few decades.  But take some chances. Have some times.

Happy 18, Ed.  Success in all things, and write it down.

Don't Look Down

Trees drippin, clouds sailing, dog sleepin. I like my back yard, but more with all the leaves out and soughing in the wind. I think you pronounce that suffing, but that English is one crazy language. Some say 'sowing', maybe better to avoid the word altogether.  The word 'slough' comes to mind, pronounced 'sloo', meaning a small lake or pond, usually occurring in glacial rebound topography, but in Scotland they might call it a tarn or e'en a loch.  Maybe all words ending in 'ough' should be outlawed, or we will end up in camps warring with pens. No, wait, this is the 21st century, nobody gies a guid shite aboot pens. Its all aboot the fiddly bits of buttons folks all carry these days. Moving on. Ough, I say that as UFF ! Unless its a wee tarn, ye ken.
I feel this to be a momentous time. And I got some bloody sleep last night, so I wont get much tonight. I have learned much, forgotten much, but still have enough left to be looking forward to the next 20 yrs. The outdoor couch is wet with rain, or I would be out on it, lookin up at the clouds and not thinking, instead of trying to get some thoughts doon.  Err, right, momentous time.

Dinna let the bastarrds grrind ye doon.

Here's a wee choon from Igster from Deetroyit. The lyrics are sometimes right, but they were dubbed by someone who doesnt speka da anglish too good, or they were doin some of Iggy's dope. Chyron, do they still say that? Its a little planet or moon, I think, but was also a term for adding text to video.

Here's Iggy:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgkvUfpkRT8

big sky country

Smokestack lightnin,  where the buffalo roam, losin lately gamblin..  Its a good life, oot here in a big city, but living like the house is a cabin. My basement tenant informed me he had one pair o boots (I have seen them, they are just about done) so I offered a pair of semi-worn Converse hightops my kid left.  My dog is getting a bit deaf (EH??) so I squirted some vegetable oil in his ears, then in my own, out of solidarity.  Got some scarlet runner beans growing inside, and planted outside.
My dog is awesome, if I spend the next 5 years helping him live longer (he just turned 13) I will think it time well spent. He doesnt even want to come inside, he is so hard core, so its not like he is an attention suck. (Yeah man, my hips hurt all the time and my shits come when they do ,but dont worry about it- he says).  Fuckin trooper, I dont mind takin care of the old boy.
Oh yeah, and my fine girl is movin in couple weeks, will do my best to be a good man for her, but I feel so calm about it, I know its going to be good.
 Takin no lip, got a couple decades left, and I aint gonna spend em apologizin.

This is Big Sky Country.